The Center Network

   Little Mac is a small underdog with a lot of heart, and along with trainer Doc Lewis, he will attempt to climb the rankings and become the best boxer in the World.

    Each match in Punch Out is three rounds long, with each round lasting three minutes. Little Mac has the ability to throw left and right body blows, left and right jabs and an uppercut. To earn the ability to use an uppercut, Little Mac must collect Stars by counter-punching his opponent at the correct time. Defensively, Little Mac can dodge left or right and block. There is also a heart meter, where hearts are lost when one of Little Mac’s punches are blocked or when he gets hit. When the heart meter runs out, Little Mac will turn pink and be unable to throw punches until he regains his hearts by avoiding punches.

    Both boxers have a health meter. When the health meter is drained, the boxer will be knocked downs and a ten count will start. The boxer must get to his feet before the count of ten or he will be knocked out. Three knock downs in a round will also signal the end of the match by Technical Knockout. If all three rounds end, the score will go to the judges who will determine a winner. If Little Mac loses a match, he’ll have to re-do the match or will have to re-do the previous match. If Little Mac loses three matches, his career is over. A password system allows the player to restart at the beginning of the last title rankings he competed in.

- Graphical Glitch: Once in awhile a boxers trunks will shift colours momentarily. That is really the only problem with the game, and it is a minor one.

- Difficulty: Punch Out does not have difficulty settings. Instead, the difficulty of the boxers Little Mac faces begins to rise as you climb the ranks. Lower ranked boxers allow a player time to learn how to play the game without losing too often, while defeating higher ranked boxers provides a real sense of accomplishment.
- The Boxers: The boxers Little Mac faces are an eclectic and memorable bunch. So memorable, in fact, that it has been years since some players have played it yet when they pick the controller up again, they will remember the one-hit KO against Bald Bull or King Hippo’s weak spot.
- The Music: As with the boxers, Punch Out also has a memorable NES soundtrack. The music can add to the tension of a match, and can give a player the feeling that there is unfinished business during the post-title password screen.
- The Controls: The controls are very responsive, plus they are so easy to learn and so good of a control set-up that they are being used in Punch Out Wii, 22 years later.

    Punch Out!!! for the NES is one of the best designed video games ever. The controls are easy, the fights are still challenging enough that winning a high ranked fight is a monumental event, and it can still be thoroughly enjoyed even in this day of advanced graphics, ten buttons and motion control, which cannot be said for many 8 bit games.